San Diego Beer Week: Day Eight

3 p.m. – Monkey Paw First Anniversary Party
The details on this anniversary affair for Monkey Paw Pub & Brewery(805 16th Street, East Village) are sketchy at present. All that’s known is that, in keeping with all bashes thrown by owner Scot Blair (who also owns Hamilton’s Tavern, Small Bar, and Eleven), there will be “LOTS of beer on tap.” Coming from such a beery bon vivant, that’s promising enough to merit a visit.

4 p.m. – Friday Afternoon Club
Beer is at home in low-frills, easygoing environs. No local ritual provides that backdrop as nicely as Hess Brewing Company’s (7955 Silverton Avenue, #1201, Miramar) Friday Afternoon Club. For San Diego Beer Week, they’ll be doing something special, but really, aren’t good taps and an on-site food vendor enough? Things don’t always need to be grandiose to be grand.

5 p.m. – Big Barrel Aged Night
A beer event is truly awesome when there’s so much good stuff that you find yourself pouring over list of options and nitpicking at the subtle inferiorities. What’s better—stellar or magnificent? This is that type of event. So much on tap, you’ll probably want to try it all, all thanks to proper squirreling away by the collectors at O’Brien’s Pub(4646 Convoy Street, Kearny Mesa).

6 p.m. – Brewtopia on the Bay
What do you get when you plunk nine chefs and nine local breweries down in relaxing bayside environs? Answer: a recipe for a chill Friday evening beer festival with killer food and brews. Expect all of that when Brewtopia on the Bay lands at The Dana Inn(1710 West Mission Bay Drive, Mission Beach). TGIF, indeed!